THOUSAND OAKS >> The starting point is nowhere near were Jared Goff originally imagined. In that respect, he’s no different than anyone else. The Rams included.

If anyone says they would have predicted or anticipated or been OK with the first overall pick starting his NFL career at the back of the Rams quarterback line, they’re either lying or not in the loop.

Goff was generally regarded as the most National Football League ready quarterback available in last April’s draft, and that wasn’t an opinion exclusive to the Rams.

Off that distinction, he separated himself from the rest of the quarterback group and the Rams built their justification to trade six picks to the Tennessee Titans to move from the 15th pick to the first pick overall to take Goff over North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz.

So to say there isn’t even a hint of disappointment that Goff didn’t distinguish himself as the second-string quarterback, let alone the starter, would be disingenuous.

“My whole life, I’ve been the starter,” Goff said.

Now he’s third string. And that takes some getting used to.

For everyone.

Instead of returning home to the Bay Area the starting quarterback of the Los Angeles Rams, he’ll be standing on the sideline in street clothes.

Instead of preparing for the season opener against the San Francisco 49ers, he’s focused on a long-range plan that will eventually lift him from the raw prospect he looked like during training camp to the player everyone assumed he’d rapidly be upon the Rams taking him with the first overall pick.

It’s about having faith in the process rather than trusting this week’s game plan.

“And there is a process,” Goff said. “You’re just going to trust the process, and know that it’s all going to work out.”

He said this with conviction in his voice. But more and more the conversation about Goff is based on hope rather than certainty.

Based on how he performed during training camp and the preseason, it’s all we really have.

Yes, the Rams preached patience with Goff going all the way back to their pre-draft evaluation of him. And in talking to the former Cal Golden Bear, Rams coach Jeff Fisher was up front that getting him on the field could be swift or a prolonged ordeal.

“He talked about if (prolonged) was the case, there will be no rushing,” Goff said. “Whenever it’s time, it’s time. If it needs to happen early, it happens early. If it needs to happen a little bit later, it happens later. I’m just going to continue to trust him and to trust the process, and know that they have a really well thought-out plan in place, and I’m still a part of it.”

But completion of that plan seems so much further away than anyone could have imagined.

And that’s disappointing considering the home run swing the Rams took to acquire Goff.

It was move made for reasons both obvious and subtle.

No question they wanted to make a bold first step back into the Los Angeles market, and it doesn’t get much grander than trading for the first overall pick and grabbing a future face of the franchise at the most important position on the field.

Just as importantly, in talking to Rams folks, there is a sincere belief they are inches away from taking that next step in the growth process rather than feet. Closing that gap was predicated primarily on better quarterback play.

With one mighty swing of the bat, they felt they achieved both objectives.

Nothing like making a bold move to stir up the second-biggest market in the country.

And nothing like adding a dynamic new quarterback to carry the team to the next level.

That didn’t happen, obviously.

Goff performed through training camp and preseason like a prospect still in need of major seasoning. Without the benefit of the minor leagues for more fine tuning, he’ll toil away behind the scenes trying to get up to speed.

To the untrained eye, Goff looks at least a year away from making a significant contribution. That goes for his level of play to his physical stature. He’s every bit the 6-foot-5 he’s listed. But 205 pounds never looked skinnier stretched over his lanky frame.

Meanwhile, starter Case Keenum and second-year man Sean Mannion significantly out-played Goff. So when the Rams drew up their depth chart for Monday night’s season opener, there was no justification to elevate Goff over the two veterans.

Discouraging.

But prudent.

And for the kid for whom so much was expected, about as humbling as you can imagine.

His name was called first overall among 253 players drafted last April.

But no telling when his named will be called upon.

Nobody had that in the script.

“I’m just going to be patient, wait until my number is called, and continue to get ready out on the field, and continue to practice as hard as I can,” Goff said. “When my number is called, be ready.”

Goff’s NFL future pretty much depends on it.

His ability to process and compartmentalize what can only be deemed a set back and learn and grow and emerge better for it are the keys to everything.

And he’ll have to do it as much mentally as he does physically.

With practice time cut down in the NFL over the years and reps at a premium for the starter and back up, third-string quarterbacks get precious few chances to get snaps during the course of the week. So Goff will have to rely on his eyes and ears watching Keenum and Mannion almost as much as his legs and arm.

“Just continue to learn and take mental reps,” he said. “I’ve never done it before, so I am learning how to do that as well. Just trying to try to learn from what they do well, and then learn from their mistakes. Case has been in the league for a long time now. I just pick his brain and ask him as much as I can, and get to know as much as I can before my number is called, so I can be ready.”

Vincent Bonsignore is an NFL columnist for the Southern California News Group. Having covered the Los Angeles sports scene for more than two decades, Bonsignore has emerged as one of the leading voices on the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers, the NFL and NFL relocation.

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